A man who broke into a house he rented from a trusting family in Cricklewood has been jailed.

Lofti Boubekeur, 25, of Cranfield Drive, Cricklewood, targeted the house in Cumbrian Gardens along with his accomplice Peter Galer, 46, of Galsworthy Road, Cricklewood.

In June 2001, the pair waited until the house was empty before scaling a brick wall at the back of the building.

Using a garden fork, they prised open the back door and a locked metal gate. Once inside they ransacked the house, stealing identity documents and jewellery.

Wood Green Crown Court heard a statement given by the 58-year-old female victim describing the impact the burglary has had on her life.

She said: “I used to open my windows whilst I slept and now I’m too scared. It’s been nearly 18 months and yet I am still crying about it.

“It is especially upsetting because I trusted Lotfi and took care of him and he betrayed my trust.”

Following a police investigation Galer and Boubekeur were arrested on July 4 and subsequently charged.

They both pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a number of burglaries between May and June 2011, selling stolen goods and possession of identity documents with improper intent. 

Galer was jailed for four years and Boubekeur was sentenced to two years imprisonment at Wood Green Crown Court yesterday.